Support for suspended files

ABSTRACT

A support frame assembly for suspended files which is comprised of a minimal number of components and may be readily assembled by the user without the need of special tools wherein camming means are employed to selectively engage and disengage support rail elements with the associated support frames.

United States Patent 1 Carter 51 May 22,1973

[54] SUPPORT FOR SUSPENDED FILES [75] Inventor: Rex D. Carter, Clovis, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Sheller-Globe Corporation, Toledo,

Ohio

22 Filed: July 15, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 55,099

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 13,644, Feb. 24,

1970, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl ..21l/177 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 5/10 [58] Field of Search ..211/177, 162, 184,

211/46, 45, 43, 182; 312/184;.248/226 D, 226 C, 226 R, 245, 298; 287/54.l, 51

V [56] References Cited UNITED'STATES PATENTS 5/1936 Kress ..2ll/5O 2,739,748 3/1956 Hoover ..224/42.45 R 2,810,388 10/1957 Conley et al ..211/162 3,295,697 1/1967 Patterson 211/184 3,356,228 12/1967 Woodhouse.. ..211/45 3,368,784 2/1968 Peterson ..248/245 3,651,949 3/1972 Carter ..21 1/177 419,379 1/1890 Talbot ..248/298 X Primary ExaminerRamon S. Britts AttorneyWilson & Fraser [57] ABSTRACT A support frame assembly for suspended files which is comprised of a minimal number of components and may be readily assembled by the user without the need of special tools wherein camming means are employed to selectively engage and disengage support rail elements with the associated support frames.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented May 22, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. REX D. CARTER LJJAW MAW ATTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. REX D. CARTER (UM 4-?W ATTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I X V E NTOR. R E X D. CARTER FIG.6

ATTORNEYS SUPPORT FOR SUSPENDED FILES This application is a continuation-in-part application of my earlier filed copending application Ser. No. 13,644, entitled Support For Suspended Files, filed Feb. 24, 1970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to filing devices and particularly to a support frame for suspended files containing sheets of papers at least a portion of which are removable and interchangeable, adapted to be preserved in file drawers or the like, permitting inspection of sheets of paper without withdrawing them from the containing receptacle.

2. Description of the Prior Art One typical method of storing papers for reference utilizes a scheme of containing the papers in tile folders which are suspended vertically. The upper edges of the folders have strengthening or stiffening means which typically project laterally at each end and are supported on horizontally extending support rails. When the file folders are stored in drawers of a filing cabinet, for example, the rails are conventionally part ofa frame including vertical posts which rest on the bottom of the drawer and are interconnected by cross bars. Such frame assemblies may be inserted readily into existing plain drawers which may thus be converted to contain suspended filing systems. The present invention is concerned with a supporting frame of the above type.

Such frame assemblies can be arranged so that they will be easily assembled by the user without special tools from a small number of components which may be packed into small space for storage and shipping.

The frame assemblies readily adapt themselves to a great variety of drawer types and are of such a nature that the user can assemble the frame with associated rails at desired spacings.

Constructions of the prior which are directed toward similar objectives as the present invention are illustrated and described in US. Pat. No. 3,295,697, entitled LOCK LEVER SUSPENSION FILE SUPPORT," E. D. Patterson. The constructions disclosed therein are considerably more complex than the instant structure and are therefore more costly to manufacture and cumbersome to utilize.

SUMMARY The objects and advantages of the present invention may typically be achieved by a support frame assembly having a pair of vertically extending corner posts interconnected by a transverse cross bar at each end of the support frame and rails extending between the ends of the frame, means for connecting the rail, cross bar, and corner post at each corner of the frame, said means comprising an integral terminal portion of the cross bar consisting of a horizontally extending portion and a terminal secton having a rail engaging surface; an integral upper terminal section of the corner post having a rail engaging surface cooperating with the rail engaging surface of the terminal section of said cross bar; linkage means interconnecting the terminal sections of said cross bar and said corner post, and camming means associated with said linkage means for urging the rail into snug engagement with the downwardly facing rail engaging surface of said cross bar and the rail engaging surface of said corner post to thereby frictionally engage a portion of an associated rail by said surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to one skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support frame for suspended tiles incorporating the features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the support frame illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the terminal portions of the cross bar and the corner post preparatory to the reception of the end of an associated rail;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, with the camming lever in a closed locked position wherein the end of an associated rail is snugly engaged between the terminal portions of the cross bar and the corner posts;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a support frame for suspended files illustrating a modified form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 4, showing the assembly preparatory to the reception of the end of an associated rail member; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 5 showing the assembly in a condition wherein the associated rail member is locked in place.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The support frame of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings comprises two horizontally extending rail members 10, and at each end, a frame comprising a cross bar 12 and two spaced apart corner posts 14, the lower ends of which are interconnected by a bottom horizontally extending bar 16. It has been found preferable to fabricate these members from flat strip metal of uniform section with smooth edges throughout.

Each of the corner posts 14 has the terminal upper ends thereof formed with a horizontally extending section 18 and a substantially U-shaped terminal portion 20. The inner surfaces of the U-shaped terminal portions 20 consist of a downwardly depending wall 22, a bottom wall 24, and an upwardly extending wall 26. The terminal end portions of the cross bars 12 are formed to have an inverted U-shaped channel 28 which is suitably superposed above the U-shaped terminal portion 20 of the corner posts 14. The inner surfaces of the U-shaped channel 28 consist of a downwardly depending wall 30, a top wall 32, and an upwardly extending wall 32.

The terminal end portions of the corner posts 14 and the cross bars 12 are interconnected by a rivet type fastener 34 having an upper head 36 and a lower head 38. It will be obvious that suitable apertures are formed in the cross bar 12 and the horizontally extending section 18 of the corner posts 14 to suitably receive the rivet 34 prior to the placement of the heads 36 and 38 Disposed between the undersurface of the cross bar 12 and the uppersurface of the horizontally extending section 18, there is a camming arm 40 mounted to pivot about the vertical axis of the fastener 24. The camming arm 40 is provided with an aperture to receive the rivet 34 prior to the final assembly of the structure. The out-' ermost end of the camming arm 40 is formed to contain a substantially arcuate terminal end surface 42.

It will be noted from an examination of FIG. 2 ofthe invention that when the camming lever 40 is moved to the position illustrated therein, the endof the associated rail may be readily inserted between the downwardly facing rail engaging surface formed by the inner surface of the inverted U-shaped channel 28 of the cross bar 12, and the upwardly facing rail engaging surface of the terminal section of the U-shaped channel of the corner post 14. Once the end of the rail 10 is in serted into the space between the U-shaped terminal portion 20 of the corner post 14 and the inverted U- shaped terminal channel 28 of the cross bar 12, and the camming lever 40 is pivoted to the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the arcuate terminal end 42 urges the end portion of the rail 10 into snug engagement with the inner surfaces of the channel formed by the U-shaped channels 20 and 28. Once the terminal end 42 of the camming arm 40 is against the side of the rail 10 and the arm 40 is pivoted to a position such that the arm is completely beneath the cross bar 12, the assembly is locked and will remain so until sufficient manual force is applied to the arm 40 to unlock the same.

In a preferred embodiment of the above described structure, it has been found that excellent operation results will occur if the arcuate terminal end surface 42 of the arm 40 is formed on a one half inch radium and the center of the aperture therein to receive the fastener 34 positioned thirty-nine sixty fourths inch from the tangent of the arcuate end surface 42.

The support frame containing a modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, and comprises horizontally extending rail members 110, and at each end, a frame including a cross bar 112 and two spaced apart corner posts 114, the lower ends of which are interconnected by a bottom horizontally extending bar. While it has been found desirable to fabricate the end frames from flat strip metal of uniform section with smooth edges throughout, the rail members 110 are preferably formed of a thinner material having a generally C-shaped cross sectional configuration.

Each of the corner posts 114 has the terminal upper ends thereof formed with a horizontally extending section 118 and a downwardly depending terminal portion 120. The terminal end portions of the cross bars 112 are formed to have an upwardly extending portion 132.

The terminal end portions of the corner posts 114 and the cross bars 112 are interconnected by a rivet type fastener 134 having an upper head 136 and a lower head 138. It will be obvious that suitable apertures are formed in the cross bar 112 and the horizontally extending section 118 of the corner posts 114 to suitably receive the rivet 134 prior to the placement of the heads 136 and 138.

Disposed between the undersurface of the cross bar 112 and the uppersurface of the horizontally extending section 118, there is a camming arm 140 mounted to pivot about the vertical axis of the fastener 134. The camming arm 140 is provided with an aperture to receive the rivet 134 prior to the final assembly of the structure. The outermost end of the camming arm' 140 is formed to contain a substantially arcuate terminal end surface 142.

It will be noted from an examination of FIGS. 4 and 5, when the camming lever 140 is moved to the position illustrated therein, the end of the associated rail may be assembled such that the downwardly extending terminal rail engaging portion of the corner post 114, and theupwardly extending terminal rail engaging portion 132 of the cross bar 112 are received within the interior of the channel formed by the rail 110. Once the end of the rail 110 is thus assembled and the camming lever is pivoted to the position illustrated in FIG. 6, the arcuate terminal end 142 thereof tends to deform the side wall of the rail 110, thereby urging the upper and lower inner surfaces into snug engagement with the terminal portion 120 and 132. Once the terminal end 142 of the camming arm 140 is against the side wall of the rail 110 and the arm 140 is pivoted to a position such that the arm is completely beneath the cross bar 112, the assembly is locked and will remain so until sufficient manual force is applied to the arm 140 to unlock the same.

By employing the structural concepts of the assembly illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the specific tolerances necessary to achieve the proper locking operation are considerably broad. In other words, the length of the operative lever arm of the camming arm 140 may vary within typical manufacturing practices without fear of producing an inoperative structure. Furthermore, the channel shaped rail member 110 can be formed of relatively light weight metal stock, thereby enabling a manufacturer of the assembly to maintain economic production costs.

It will be appreciated that the above described support assemblies can be assembled at a factory and then shipped to the ultimate user in four components; namely, two support frame units consisting of the cross bars and the corner posts, and two associated rails. The rails are either precut to the desired length, or may be cut by the user to fit the particular drawer in which the frame assembly is to be utilized.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the support frame for suspended files may be readily and economically manufactured and later assembled by the user without the need of special tools.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principles and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiments. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having described the embodiments of the invention, I claim:

1. A support frame assembly having a pair of vertically extending corner posts interconnected by a transverse cross bar at each end of the support frame and rails extending between the ends of the frames, means for connecting the rail, cross bar, and corner post at each corner of the frame, said means comprising:

'an integral terminal portion of the cross bar consisting of a horizontally extending portion and termi- I nal section having downwardly projecting rail engaging surface;

an integral upper terminal portion of the corner post having an upwardly projecting rail engaging sur- "face cooperating with the rail engaging surface of the terminal section of said cross bar;

linkage means interconnecting the terminal sections of said cross bar and said corner posts, said linkage means enabling limited. relative displacement of said cross bar and said corner post; and

camming means associated with said linkage means and disposed between the terminal sections of said cross bar and said corner post, the maximum length of said camming means from said linkage means being at least as great as the minimum distance from said linkage means to said rail engaging surfaces minus the thickness of the rail, said camming means selectively urging the associated rail member into snug frictional engagement with the downwardly projecting rail engaging surface of said cross bar and the upwardly projecting surface of said corner post to thereby frictionally engage a terminal portion of an associated rail between said surfaces.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said camming means includes a camming arm having an arcuate camming surface adapted to bear against the rail to force the rail into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging surfaces of said corner post and said cross bar.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said link age means includes a rivet fastener having an upper head portion adjacent the upper surface of said cross bar and a lower head portion adjacent the lower surface of said corner post.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the upper terminal portion of the corner post includes a horizontally extending section in substantially parallel relation to the cross bar.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage means comprises a rivet-type fastener having an upper end affixed to the cross bar and a lower end affixed to the corner post in the region of said horizontally extending section.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said camming arm is pivotally mounted on said fastener.

7. A support frame assembly having a pair of vertically extending corner posts interconnected by a transverse cross bar at each end of the support frame and rails extending between the ends of the frames, means for connecting the rail, cross bar, and corner post at each corner of the frame, said means comprising:

an integral terminal portion of the cross bar consisting of a horizontally extending portion and terminal section having a downwardly projecting rail engaging portion;

an integral upper terminal portion of the corner post having an upwardly projecting rail engaging portion cooperating with the rail engaging portion of the terminal section of the cross bar; linkage means interconnecting the terminal sections of the cross bar and the corner posts; and

camming means associated with said linkage means and disposed between the terminal section of the cross bar and the corner posts, the maximum length of said camming means from said linkage means being at least as great as the minimum distance from said linkage means to said rail engaging surfaces minus the thickness of said rail, said camming means selectively urging the associated rail member into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging portion of said cross bar and the rail engaging portion of the cornerpost to thereby frictionally engage a portion of an associated rail by said surfaces.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said camming means includes a camming arm having an arcuate camming surface adapted to bear against the rail to force the rail into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging portion of the cross bar and the corner posts.

9. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said linkage means includes a rivet fastener having an upper head portion adjacent the upper surface of the cross bar and a lower head portion adjacent the lower surface of the corner post.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said camming arm is pivotally mounted on said fastener. 

1. A support frame assembly having a pair of vertically extending corner posts interconnected by a transverse cross bar at each end of the support frame and rails extending between the ends of the frames, means for connecting the rail, cross bar, and corner post at each corner of the frame, said means comprising: an integral terminal portion of the cross bar consisting of a horizontally extending portion and terminal section having downwardly projecting rail engaging surface; an integral upper terminal portion of the corner post having an upwardly projecting rail engaging surface cooperating with the rail engaging surface of the terminal section of said cross bar; linkage means interconnecting the terminal sections of said cross bar and said corner posts, said linkage means enabling limited relative displacement of said cross bar and said corner post; and camming means associated with said linkage means and disposed between the terminal sections of said cross bar and said corner post, the maximum length of said camming means from said linkage means being at least as great as the minimum distance from said linkage means to said rail engaging surfaces minus the thickness of the rail, said camming means selectively urging the associated rail member into snug frictional engagement with the downwardly projecting rail engaging surface of said cross bar and the upwardly projecting surface of said corner post to thereby frictionally engage a terminal portion of an associated rail between said surfaces.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said camming means includes a camming arm having an arcuate camming surface adapted to bear against the rail to force the rail into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging surfaces of said corner post and said cross bar.
 3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes a rivet fastener having an upper head portion adjacent the upper surface of said cross bar and a lower head portion adjacent the lower surface of said corner post.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the upper terminal portion of the corner post includes a horizontally extending section in substantially parallel relation to the cross bar.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said linkage means compriseS a rivet-type fastener having an upper end affixed to the cross bar and a lower end affixed to the corner post in the region of said horizontally extending section.
 6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said camming arm is pivotally mounted on said fastener.
 7. A support frame assembly having a pair of vertically extending corner posts interconnected by a transverse cross bar at each end of the support frame and rails extending between the ends of the frames, means for connecting the rail, cross bar, and corner post at each corner of the frame, said means comprising: an integral terminal portion of the cross bar consisting of a horizontally extending portion and terminal section having a downwardly projecting rail engaging portion; an integral upper terminal portion of the corner post having an upwardly projecting rail engaging portion cooperating with the rail engaging portion of the terminal section of the cross bar; linkage means interconnecting the terminal sections of the cross bar and the corner posts; and camming means associated with said linkage means and disposed between the terminal section of the cross bar and the corner posts, the maximum length of said camming means from said linkage means being at least as great as the minimum distance from said linkage means to said rail engaging surfaces minus the thickness of said rail, said camming means selectively urging the associated rail member into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging portion of said cross bar and the rail engaging portion of the corner post to thereby frictionally engage a portion of an associated rail by said surfaces.
 8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said camming means includes a camming arm having an arcuate camming surface adapted to bear against the rail to force the rail into snug frictional engagement with the rail engaging portion of the cross bar and the corner posts.
 9. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said linkage means includes a rivet fastener having an upper head portion adjacent the upper surface of the cross bar and a lower head portion adjacent the lower surface of the corner post.
 10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said camming arm is pivotally mounted on said fastener. 